HistoryAncient India: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings

A Buddhist text contains verses in which Punna questions a Brahmana w…

A Buddhist text contains verses in which Punna questions a Brahmana who bathes in the river every cold morning to be freed from evil. What kind of collection is this text?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 4

The correct answer is Option (4) → A collection of verses composed by bhikkhunis

Punna's verses belong to the Therigatha, a text of the Sutta Pitaka that is a collection of verses composed by bhikkhunis.

NCERT (2026-27): “6. Followers of the Buddha …
This unique Buddhist text, part of the Sutta Pitaka, is a collection of verses composed by bhikkhunis. It provides an insight into women’s social and spiritual experiences. Punna, a dasi or slave woman, went to the river each morning to fetch water for her master’s household. There she would daily see a Brahmana performing bathing rituals. One morning she spoke to him. …”